


Missing: Black Cat

by ProjectSNT



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-09-07
Packaged: 2018-08-10 06:39:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7834126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProjectSNT/pseuds/ProjectSNT
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During a battle with a dangerous foe, Chat Noir gets thrown dangerously far away from the scene.  Fearing the worst, Ladybug sets out to find her partner before she transforms back.  Instead she comes across Adrien in critical condition...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Why do I make everything I like sad?
> 
> Special thanks to my sister for giving me some writing tips.

Sirens blared across the city as herds of people scrambled away to find a place to take shelter. In the midst of the chaos stood a large, monstrous mass, and at its feet were two figures. The heroes of Paris, the passionate Ladybug and the mysterious Chat Noir, did their best to keep the towering beast at bay while the police directed the civilians away from the scene.

The masked heroine and her feline partner had never faced a threat like this one: a villain by the name of Brickwork, who took on the form of a twenty story golem constructed from cinder blocks. In order for the duo to destroy the object that had corrupted him, his hardhat, they had to climb his large body up to his head to take it.

This feat was easier said than done.

In the heat of the battle, the hero in black attempted to scale the beast on his own despite his spotted ally's advice. With his cat-like reflexes, he scrambled up the golem's brick limbs, getting covered in stone dust in the process. Chat Noir managed to get pretty high up on his own, almost within reach of their target. He gave his spotted friend a wave, but his answer back was a scowl and lots of scolding. The boy shrugged it off. He was used to it.

The black cat perched proudly on the golem's shoulder, giving Ladybug another wave and a wink. He was now too high up to hear her chastizing him. Chat watched as her face slowly transitioned from a scowl to a look of fright. She shouted something desperately to him, but her voice was too far away to be audible over the sounds of wind and grinding stone.

"What was that, Bugaboo?" he called to her, putting a hand to his cat ear. He tried to follow where his frightened partner was pointing...

...only to be greeted by a cinder block hand.

The monster trapped him in his grip, nearly crushing the hero with his stone-hard fingers. Brickwork's grip was too tight for Chat to make use of his stick. Then, suddenly...

_Fwoosh!_

The corrupted golem threw the heroine's trusted partner as if he were tossing a curveball. Ladybug watched in horror as her kitty comrade flew farther and farther away, his cries for her growing quieter from the distance. Before she could sprint after him, the giant made a grab for her, but she quickly focused back onto the task at hand and dodged just in time. She would have to find him later.

He would be okay, right? Cats always landed on their feet.

Upon hitting the asphalt beneath them, the beast's brick hand became stuck in the impact it made, and the spotted warrior took the opportunity to leap onto his arm and dash up to his shoulder. She made quick use of her Lucky Charm she had summoned earlier, a boomerang adorned with the same spot pattern as her uniform, tossing it at the golem's hardhat and knocking it clean off. With a quick flick of her other arm, the heroine whipped her yo-yo at the hat, knocking it in her direction, and she sprung into the air to catch it, landing back onto the ruined road.

Ladybug had finished a villain off countless times in this manner, but tonight she found herself making haste in her routine.

Like clockwork, she captured the dark-winged butterfly that fluttered from the now-destroyed hat to purify it and release it. She flung the Lucky Charm into the air, chanting the familiar words, and a flash of light burst in the sky. A magic wave in the form of thousands of ladybugs washed over the city. In the blink of an eye, the swarm magically repaired anything that had been destroyed in the preceding battle. Buildings that had been reduced to rubble, roads that were torn up, and even dents in the Eiffel Tower's metal frame were fixed up, almost as if the attack never happened.

One of the five black spots on the girl's earrings disappeared, indicating that she would transform back into her civilian self very soon. She needed to find her partner before then to make sure he was okay.

The polka-dotted paladin sprinted into the city. From what she remembered, the giant had flung her companion east from the battleground. If she didn't know any better she would have assumed he was thrown all the way to Belgium, but he couldn't have gone too far.

"Chat Noir! Can you hear me?"

The only response she got was the rumble of thunder overhead. Grey stormclouds cast a dark shadow over the magically-repaired streets of Paris. If Ladybug didn't hurry, she would be caught in the oncoming downpour, and searching for her ally would become a lot harder.

Another one of her spots faded. She picked up the pace.

"Chat Noir? Chat Noir! Please answer me!"

 

* * *

 

A faint ringing in his ear woke the blonde-haired boy from his stupor. His vision was blurry, but he could definitely make out that he wasn't anywhere near where he was tossed from. The boy found that he had trouble sitting up ...or moving at all for that matter. Any time he shifted, pain shot through his entire body.

That wasn't going to stop him, though. He needed to get back. The sandy-haired boy reached forward to try and push himself up only to notice that something very important was missing from his hand.

His ring. Where was his ring?

Panic flooded his nearly-unconscious mind. Did it fall off during the rough landing? Did someone take it? Where was-

"Chat Noir! If you can hear me, say something!"

"L...Lady...bug..."

 

* * *

 

The weak call managed to reach Ladybug's ears. She followed the sound into an alleyway, and she immediately gasped upon finding a familiar schoolboy laying on the concrete.

"Adrien...?"

Fear washed over her as she scrambled over to her crush. He had a nasty wound on the back of his head along with several bruises and cuts, and upon closer inspection she found that his arm had been broken.

She wanted to know what happened to him, but she knew she didn't have time for an explanation. In one swift motion, Ladybug scooped the boy up to carry him bridal style, and she dashed out of the alley.

Adrien glanced up at his saviour, his eyes glazed from the pain. "Ladybug..."

"Hang on," she told him softly, keeping her eyes forward. "I'm getting you some help."  
  
"We...have to go...back," he croaked.

"I-I'm sorry?"

"Lost...l-lost something..."

She loved this boy, but sometimes he didn't make any sense. Adrien was battered, bruised, and clinging to consciousness, and he wanted to go back? Ladybug sighed. "I'll help you find it later. You need to go to the hospital right now."

It had already begun storming when the two of them reached the hospital. They were both soaked to the bone, and Ladybug was down to her last spot. She took a few seconds to catch her breath. Adrien was heavier than she expected, so carrying him in the pouring rain was tiring even with the extra strength from her Miraculous. She rushed through the hospital's entrance, pleading for anyone to help, and once the doctors caught sight of the two familiar figures they immediately took the teen model out of her arms and transfered him to a stretcher.

The boy never took his eyes off of his saviour, even when he was being wheeled away.

Once he was out of sight, the spotted heroine avoided the crowd of patients rushing towards her to get her attention or her autograph. She only had seconds to spare. As soon as she was out the door and around the corner her disguise wore off, leaving her a tired, soaked mess. She curled herself up in a ball to weep softly to herself.

A light tap on her arm made her look back up. Her tiny, kwami friend looked at her worriedly, her big bug eyes wavering.

The dark-haired girl wiped the tears from her eyes. "Oh Tikki, this is all my fault. I should have stopped that Akuma sooner. Adrien wouldn't be this hurt if I had-"

"Marinette, you should go home," the floating creature murmured, patting her arm with her stubby hand to comfort her. "It's been a long day and you need to rest. We'll take care of everything tomorrow."

The kwami's words suddenly reminded Marinette of her previous mission. Chat Noir. She still had to find him. If Adrien was this hurt, then who knows what condition he was in?

Marinette quickly stood back up. "What about Chat Noir!? He could still be in danger! What if he's hurt, too? Or worse!?"

Tikki flew closer to her face, giving her master a stern look. "If you keep pushing yourself, you're going to get hurt, too."

"But I need to know that he's okay! Please!"

The magical being let out a tired sigh. Going home would have been the safer alternative, but she knew her master was concerned about her feline friend. Even Tikki began to feel anxious about his current state. If Chat was in critical condition, then his Miraculous could have also been in danger...

Tikki plucked a leaf with a particularly long stem from a nearby bush. It was the perfect umbrella for someone her size. "If you have a snack, I can go look for Chat Noir for you."

Marinette perked up, then dug into her purse and pulled out a chocolate chip cookie. Her kwami sat in her palm and started eating.

"Oh, thank you, Tikki. Thank you!" Marinette weeped, unable to hold back her tears.

"It's alright," the tiny being replied between bites. "Just head straight home. Your parents are probably worried sick about you."

Right on cue, Marinette's cell phone rang from inside her purse. She dug it out with her free hand. It was her mother, of course. As the girl prepared to answer it, she thanked Tikki once more and watched the little kwami fly into the storm with her leaf umbrella in hand.

A flick of her thumb was all it took to answer the call. "Mom? Yeah, I'm fine. I had to find a place to hide when the monster attacked. I'll be home soon..."

 

* * *

 

 

Marinette didn't know how long she had been asleep. As soon as she got home, the girl headed up to her room, turning down the dinner offered by her concerned parents. She didn't remember changing and tucking herself into bed...

A tap on her window was what woke her up. She slipped out of bed, still exhausted from the day, and opened the window. Marinette knew it was Tikki, but when she saw how upset her kwami looked she was instantly wide awake.

"Did you find him? Is he hurt? Where did he go!?"

These questions only made the floating creature tear up even more. "M...Marinette... This was all I could find..." The kwami lifted up her tiny hands, which was holding something very familiar...

A silver, almost translucent ring.

Marinette's face went ghostly pale. "Is-...Isn't that..." She opened up her palm so Tikki could drop the treasure into it, and she lifted it up to get a closer look. "N-no...no, it can't-"

Tikki's antenna drooped lower. "I-I'm sorry, Marinette...but it is."

She dropped to her knees, clutching the ring tight in her palm. "N-no...no no no no. No, he can't be-... He has to-... He can't just be...gone. Can he?"

The kwami remained silent.

Tears began to gather in a puddle on her floor. She held the closed fist clutching the ring close to her chest. Her partner...her friend...was nowhere to be found, and his Miraculous was the only thing left of him she had.

It was very likely...that she would never see her cat companion again...


	2. Chapter 2

The streets of Paris were as busy as ever. Plenty of people were out and about, checking the local shops and sights, and traffic moved along at a moderate pace. It was as if the events of the previous day never even happened.

It was quite obvious, though, that a thick air of worry was hanging over everyone roaming the streets.

These random attacks happened so often that the city had gotten used to them by now. Everyone in Paris knew exactly what to do and where to go when a new villain popped up to cause some mischief, and they knew that they could always count on Ladybug and Chat Noir to swoop in and save the day.

But this time, it was much different. The last Akuma destroyed nearly half of the town, leaving plenty of people injured or trapped. Even a local celebrity, the teen model Adrien Agreste, was found in critical condition by the spotted heroine, and it was reported that she personally escorted him to the hospital. On top of that, Chat Noir disappeared completely during the battle, and nobody knew where he went nor had anyone found any sign of him since then.

This was the first time that these citizens felt this unsafe since these heroes and villains first showed up.

 

* * *

 

Lucky for a small, cat-like creature, these worrying thoughts were distracting any passerbys that would potentially freak out if they saw him. It was dangerous for a kwami to be out in the open like this, but this kwami had no other choice. He had to find his master before some other threat popped up or before his hunger got the best of him.

Plagg clearly remembered the events of the day before. He felt everything his master felt during the fight: the adrenaline rush during the steep climb, the feeling of cinder block dust falling on him like snow...

...and the whistling of the air against his ears when he was flung hundreds of feet by that golem.

When it was finally time to land, Chat Noir's resilient superhero form absorbed the first impact against the top of a brick wall. Unfortunately, the shock was still hard enough to make his Miraculous fling right off of his finger, taking Plagg with it. Soon enough, the unmasked hero fell hard onto the concrete below. The kitty kwami winced as he watched Adrien land on his side, and he heard the snapping of bone and the hard thunk of his head hitting the pavement.

Plagg's first instinct was to panic.

The magical being tried desperately to wake the boy up. His usual tactics, nudging and plenty of yelling, didn't have any effect on him. Adrien was at least breathing, but he still needed medical attention as soon as possible. With panic clouding his judgement, Plagg flew into the surrounding alleyways to search for anything that could help his master, whether it be another person or some kind of tool he could use to help.

Wait. If he did find help, what would he even do? No normal person would calmly listen to a creature like him, let alone even give him a chance to talk. And if Plagg somehow found something useful, it would most likely be too big for him to pick up. Plus, Adrien wouldn't have the energy to do anything with it. Plagg soon realized that he was making a huge mistake leaving his master alone, but when he turned around to go back the brick walls around him seemed to blur together, and that's when he recognized that he had gotten himself lost.

Great job, Plagg.

He flew around in circles for what seemed like hours, feeling incredibly foolish. He should have stayed with Adrien, he thought to himself. At least then the feline fairy wouldn't be lost in these confusing, dark streets. He shouldn't have let hysteria get the best of him. Plagg let his thoughts wander as he fluttered through the alleys, and somehow he managed to find his way back to where Adrien was collapsed.

However, the injured boy was no longer there.

Time to panic again.

The kwami opted to take a completely different route this time, flying as fast as his magic could carry him. He called out for his master desperately, vainly hoping he would get some kind of response despite his current state. Plagg searched the streets of Paris as much as he could until he got caught in a heavy downpour. Reluctantly, he took shelter in a nearby bush to wait out the storm.

Plagg must have dozed off, because he woke up to the sounds of car horns blaring.

Now the kwami was wandering the streets, trying to figure out what to do to find his master. Panicking, he realized, wasn't going to help him at all. He had to think with a clear head if he wanted to reunite with Adrien soon.

If only his stomach would stop growling.

Plagg's train of thought was soon interrupted by a familiar scent. He looked up and was soon greeted by a store window displaying various types of cheeses. The magic being recognized all of his favorites: swiss, cheddar, brie, muenster...and camembert.

His stomach gurgled even louder.

...having a quick snack wouldn't hurt. Right?

 

* * *

 

Ladybug leapt from rooftop to rooftop, scanning the area for something that could help her find her missing partner. She knew the odds of finding anything were slim, considering she was now in possession of his Miraculous, but she couldn't let herself give up.

At the very least it was bright and sunny today.

The heroine stopped in her tracks when she spotted a figure on another building's roof up ahead. How odd. It couldn't have been another Akuma this soon. Maybe they were a civilian that needed help! Desperate for an answer, Ladybug darted towards the figure.

As she got closer, though, it subtly began to change its form into someone familiar.

Ladybug skidded to a stop. The unknown being now sported a leather suit and cat ears. How was that possible? She had Chat Noir's ring, so he couldn't possibly be out here in the open like this. The feline hero then turned to face her. Even from this distance, Ladybug could clearly make out how upset he looked.

A large, shadowy giant rose up behind the boy, and the beautiful blue sky overhead was soon covered by a thick blanket of black clouds.

Something was not right here.

Fearing the worst, the spotted saviour made a beeline towards her cat partner. She watched as the monster raised a giant fist up to prepare for an attack. Ladybug called out to Chat, pleading for him to move out of the way, but he just kept standing there.

The giant's fist made its descent towards her partner, and he weakly reached out for her.

"Ladybug... Save me..."

  
_Bang!_

"Chat Noir! No!"

Marinette found herself standing up at her usual seat in her class. Her classmates were all staring at her, some of them even snickering at her. She noticed that her history textbook had been pushed off of her desk. Her teacher was standing next to her, looking rather annoyed at the girl.

"Marinette," the woman scolded, "this is the third time you've fallen asleep in my class this week."

The dark-haired girl sat back down in her seat, hanging her head in shame. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I haven't been getting much sleep."

Her teacher sighed and patted her shoulder. "All of Paris is concerned about what happened a few days ago. If you're having trouble sleeping, I can send you to the nurse's office."

"N-no need! I'll be okay," the girl insisted, giving the woman a sheepish grin. She was given an apprehensive look before the teacher left her side to go back to the front to continue her lecture. Marinette let out a sigh, relaxing again.

That nightmare she was pulled out of was the same nightmare that had been messing with her sleep patterns for the past few days. It felt like every time Marinette closed her eyes all she could see what Chat Noir's sad green eyes pleading for her to save him.

It didn't help that every night since his disappearance Marinette, or in this case Ladybug, stayed out late to patrol the streets. There were a few too many close calls with her parents peeking into her room to find her wide awake on her balcony. A note from the school nurse would only make her parents even more worried and suspicious than they already were, so Marinette couldn't take any more chances.

She noticed that her friend Alya was giving her a look of concern. Marinette gave her a shy smile, silently telling her not to worry. The girl in glasses responded with a slight nod. They both knew they would talk about it after class, anyway.

 

* * *

 

The two friends met up outside the school at their usual spot by the stairs. Naturally, Alya was the one to strike up their conversation.

"I know why you've been having trouble sleeping," she stated, fixing her glasses pointedly.

Marinette did her best to keep a straight face. Every time her best friend talked like that, she always assumed she had somehow caught on about her double life. "O-oh? You do?" she asked, trying to hide the nervousness in her tone of voice.

"Mm hmm," Alya continued, giving the dark-haired girl a firm nod. "You're worried about Adrien. He was in pretty bad shape when Ladybug found him, so it's obvious that you're concerned about if he's doing okay."

Marinette let out a small sigh of relief. "You got me there. I'm definitely on edge about that."

"Yep! And that's why I'm giving you this!" Alya dug into her school bag and pulled out a folder filled with various papers. "These are the extra set of notes that I took today. You're going to visit Adrien in the hospital to deliver them."

"What!?" Marinette jumped back in shock. "H-how do you expect me to do that when I can hardly talk to him?"

Alya gave her friend a slight wink. "You're just dropping off notes. It's no big deal!" She paused and tapped her chin, then continued, "Oh yeah. You also have that extra piece of that strawberry tart left over from lunch, right? You should totally give him that, too."

That was actually a pretty good idea. Adrien would probably need something tasty to counter the hospital's bland food. Giving him that tart, Marinette noted, would score some serious brownie points with him.

She gave Alya a firm nod. "Okay. I'll do it."

"Awesome! I'll walk you there," the girl in glasses chimed, giving her friend a bright grin. "And then, once you're past the paparazzi, you'll get to have some alone time with him~."

The very thought of being alone in a room with her crush made Marinette's heart skip a beat. This was the perfect opportunity for the two of them to bond.

She just wished it was under better circumstances.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have so many ideas for this story now. I don't even know if I'm going to be able to keep up! We'll just have to see...

Plagg was starting to lose his mind.

It had been three days since he was separated from his master, and the kwami still couldn't figure out where he was going. Navigating this place without being safely tucked into a shirt pocket proved difficult for someone his size. Roads and intersections all looked the same, buildings seemed to blur together, and the people crowding the sidewalk made deciphering where he was that much harder.

Not to mention he had had too many close calls with stray cats mistaking him for their next meal. How embarassing.

Plagg needed a sign. He needed some kind of hint as to where the teen model could be. If only he could see through this crowd of news reporters...

"We recently received an update on local teen model Adrien Agreste's current condition."

Plagg's floppy cat ear twitched at the sound of his master's name. Hastily, he navigated through the legs of the crowd to get closer to the voice. The source was a well-dressed woman standing in front of a news camera and talking into a microphone, and behind her were the doors to the hospital. Plagg recognized the man standing near the doors as Adrien's usual, broad-shouldered bodyguard.

The well-dressed woman continued to speak into the microphone, giving the camera a confident look. "After being escorted to this very hospital by Paris's own Ladybug, Adrien Agreste has reportedly been feeling much better since the incident. Paris wishes to thank Ladybug for rescuing him, and we hope he makes a quick and healthy recovery."

The kitty kwami let out a sigh of relief. At the very least, his master was in a safe place getting treated. At last he could reunite with the sandy-haired hero, and then he could worry about finding his Miraculous. Now he just needed to figure out where in this hospital he was staying.

Plagg looked up at the building, counting the stories it sported. Sorting through each room was going to take some will power...

 

* * *

 

Marinette stood nervously in the hospital lobby, holding the folder Alya gave her close to her chest. All she had to do was go up to the counter and ask for Adrien's room number. That didn't sound too hard of a task.

So why wouldn't her legs move?

Compared to this, shoving through the paparazzi was child's play. The dark-haired girl was thankful that she had her best friend with her to aid her in that. Alya was naturally the more abrasive of the two, so Marinette could always count on her to show some muscle every now and then.

She wished she could have at least gone in with her, but the girl in glasses assured that she had to do this on her own.

Marinette couldn't let this opportunity be spoiled by her nerves. Her crush was counting on her, so it was now or never. She took a deep breath, puffing up her chest, and marched up to the counter. "I have Adrien Agreste's homework, so I'd like to know where his room is!"

Immediately she winced. That might have been too assertive. Meekly, she added "...please."

To her relief, the woman working the counter gave her a small laugh to break the tension. "No problem," she consoled, slipping Marinette a small paper with a number written on it. "The principal called us earlier to let us know someone would be stopping by."

The nervous girl took the paper and opened it up. At first, she was unsure as to why the counter worker didn't just tell her the room number. However, that thought was soon interrupted by the click of a camera shutter a few feet away from her.

Oh right. The paparazzi would be unstoppable if they found out where he was.

Marinette thanked the woman, and she headed straight into the elevator. As the doors were closing, she watched a few members of the hospital staff escort the nosy photographer out of the lobby.

The sudden, air-tight silence managed to calm her down. The girl took a deep breath, and she punched in the floor number.

_Whirr..._

_Ding!_

The elevator doors opened up once more, revealing a long, white hallway with many numbered doors on each side. Marinette noted the thick scent of formaldehyde lingering in the air. In her lifetime, she had hardly ever been this far into a hospital, so they always seemed other-worldly to her...

No time for reminiscing. She had to find her classmate's room.

Marinette felt her pulse speed up as she counted the doors in her head. The closer she got to the boy's room, the more anxious she became. Alone with Adrien...could she even handle it?

A familiar, prissy voice made her stop in her tracks.

"Okay, Adrekins~! I've got to go now, but I'll be back tomorrow!"

Out of reflex, the skittish girl found the nearest place to hide. She dove behind an empty stretcher, then carefully peeked around it. Two recognizable girls, a blonde and a red head, proudly pranced out of a nearby room.

Marinette should have known Chloe and Sabrina would be here. Luckily for her, they seemed to be leaving, so she waited until they were out of sight.

Great. After dealing with the two of them for who knows how long, Adrien probably didn't want to be bothered. Marinette was already afraid that she would potentially overstay her welcome, and seeing the mayor's daughter and her lackey strut down the hallway only reassured that fear.

Either way, she still had a job to do, so at the very least she needed to finish it.

Once the duo was out of sight, the lovesick schoolgirl briskly walked towards Adrien's room. She picked up her pace in the hopes that it would fight off her nerves. And then...

"...hm? Oh! Hey Marniette."

The sight of his soft, green eyes instantly put her at ease.

Marinette slowly let herself in, adjusting the folder in her arms. "H-hey Adrien. I uh...I brought some notes from today's class. A-and the homework."

The room was filled with various gifts and bouquets, reaching almost up to the ceiling. A lot of them, Marinette noted, had "Get well soon" cards paired with them. It was natural for a celebrity like Adrien to get plenty of gifts when they were hurt, but she severly underestimated how many could actually fit in a room this small.

As for Adrien himself, the dark-haired girl was relieved to see him in much better shape than she found him during that stormy night. His broken arm was now in a well-wrapped cast, and his head had a few bandages secured around it. A few of his nasty bruises showed definite signs of healing, as well.

He still looked extremely tired.

"W-well uh...here you go!" Marinette quickly handed the folder to her crush, trying not to look upset. "I'm sure you're really tired, so I'll just go-"

"Hey don't sweat it. I'm fine," the boy insisted. He motioned to the chair next to his bed. "Why don't you sit down? I'm sure getting through that crowd outside was rough."

This boy. This sweet, caring boy was going to be the death of her. Marinette sat in the chair, letting herself relax.

She then perked up, remembering her other mission. "Oh yeah! I also brought you a snack." Upon opening up her lunchbox she had hanging from her other shoulder, the sweet smell of strawberries broke through the scent of the various flowers. "I-I made this tart with my parents yesterday," the girl chirped, pulling out the pastry. "I'm sure you're getting sick of boring hospital food, a-and since it's made with fresh fruit it won't completely ruin your diet, so-"

"Oh yeah! That looks awesome," Adrien exclaimed. His eyes lit up as he carefully took the slice out of Marinette's palms with his good hand and sat it on the table on his other side.

Adrien Agreste just touched her hands. She had to contain herself from melting on the spot.

The injured teen happily dug into the tart, or at least to the best of his ability since he had to hold the fork in his non-dominant hand. The way he furrowed his brow as he scooped up each bite was adorable to Marinette, and she couldn't help but giggle. The boy glanced back at her, giving her a nervous laugh in return.

What a darling laugh.

Marinette decided to leave him be for the time being, and she glanced over at the television. News reporters in business attire were sitting at a desk and chatting about Ladybug and her missing black cat.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir have always been a great team. If Chat doesn't come back soon, do you think Ladybug will be able to handle another attack by herself?"

"I certainly think so. I mean, she did take down that last monster on her own."

"But what if the next monster is even bigger than the last? Her recent victory seemed more like a close call to me."

Marinette glanced back at her crush, only to realize that he was now intently focused on the television screen. His expression had darkened to something more somber. She wasn't sure why he suddenly looked so upset.

Carefully, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "...Adrien? Are you okay?"

"Do you think Ladybug misses him?" he asked softly.

This question had caught her completely off guard. "Who? Chat Noir?"

He turned to her, his eyes wavering slightly. "Yeah. Do you think she misses Chat Noir? Do you think...do you think she's worried about him?"

"O-of course she is!" Marinette blurted, only to wince and immediately tone herself down. "I-I mean, I'm sure she is. They're partners after all. And...I'm sure Ladybug has been at least trying to look for him."

The light in Adrien's eyes made its return. "You really think so?"

"Definitely," the girl assured, looking determined. "If a friend of mine went missing, I wouldn't stop until I knew they were safe. I'm sure Ladybug feels the same way."

The boy let out a sigh, and he looked back at his half-eaten piece of tart. "Yeah...you're probably right. Thanks, Marniette."

Seeing Adrien at ease immediately lifted the weight off of her shoulders. The secret heroine had been having doubts about whether her work saving Paris made any difference, especially since the night of the cat crime fighter's disappearance. The relaxed grin of her blonde-haired crush reminded her that despite all of the awful things that have happened...seeing him happy made it worth enduring.

Their quiet moment was soon interrupted by a nurse entering the room. "I'm sorry, young lady," she told Marinette softly, "but visiting hours are almost over. You should probably get ready to go."

"O-oh. Right." The girl stood up from the chair and gave Adrien a sad smile. "Well...gotta go."

"I'll be seeing you again soon, right?" he asked, beaming at her in return.

"Yeah of course!" Marinette quickly lightened up, and continued, "I'll bring more pastries, too! How about a slice of apple pie?"

"Sounds awesome! I'll look forward to it."

"M-me too..." Marinette didn't even realize that the nurse had started escorting her out of the room until she was greeted by the white walls of the hallway. She briskly turned around and shouted "Bye!" before the door closed in her face.

Adrien was looking forward to seeing her again. This was perfect.

With her mission accomplished, she happily skipped back to the elevator, humming a cheerful tune. She couldn't wait to tell Alya all about her visit.

 

* * *

 

"Psst. Adrien..."

The bed-ridden teen stirred in his sleep, rolling his head to the side. He was having a particularly good dream about Paris's spotted heroine, and he didn't want it to end just yet.

"Adrieeeeen..." a voice whispered pleadingly. He felt something soft nudge his cheek. "Adrien, wake up. It's me."

The teen model's eyes crept open, and he was greeted by a small, black figure with glowing green eyes.

"...P...Plagg? Plagg!"

Adrien instantly sat up at the sight of his kwami. "Where have you been? I was worried about you!"

The cat fairy fluttered around, looking embarassed. "I tried to get help, and I uh...ended up getting lost? And then you disappeared." He floated down to his arm, examining the fingers poking out of his cast. "Oh man," he whimpered, "This is not good. Not good at all."

"What?" Adrien asked, looking concerned. "You don't have my Miraculous with you?"

Plagg gave the boy a look of annoyance. "Does it _look_ like I have it?"

"Oh no..." Adrien layed back, draping his left palm over his forehead. "Then that means it's probably still out in the open somewhere. What if someone found it? Or worse...what if someone is wearing it?"

"If they were wearing it, I would know about it, already," the kwami insisted, finding a seat next to his master's head. "Even so, we have to find it soon before someone untrustworthy beats us to it."

"Well, I can't really do much while I'm stuck here," the sandy-haired boy sighed. He put his hand back at his side, looking thoughtful. "Maybe...maybe Ladybug could help us."

"Ladybug can't know who you are-"

"I know, I know. But...what if _you_ went to her for help?"

"I barely made it here alive!" Plagg snapped. "It took me forever to even figure out how to find my way around Paris, let alone find you!"

Adrien continued to think. "Okay, but hear me out. Next time an Akuma attack happens, Ladybug will be out in the open, and then you can easily follow her and ask her for help! Maybe she even knows where to find my Miraculous!"

The kitty kwami pondered the idea. "That...might work, actually."

"Then it's settled," the boy stated with a firm nod. "We just need to wait for Hawk Moth to strike again. For now, let's just get some sleep."

"Sounds good to me," Plagg yawned, burying himself under the hospital bed's blankets. He sighed happily, mumbling "I missed sleeping in an actual bed..."

Adrien gave him a tired chuckle. "I'm sure you did, you little trouble maker..."


End file.
